Big Ten Notebook: Some fans still out of luck with Big Ten Network

If you don’t have a ticket to Saturday’s Wisconsin game at Ohio Stadium, then get a friend with a dish or make a reservation.

Todd Porter

If you don’t have a ticket to Saturday’s Wisconsin game at Ohio Stadium, then get a friend with a dish or make a reservation.

The Big Ten Network will televise Saturday’s game, so those with Time Warner or Comcast, you won’t see it.

Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel and his counterpart, Bret Bielema, were asked about the game not being widely available. Both side-stepped the question and endorsed the network.

“Do I wish the Big Ten Network were on everyone’s TV? Absolutely,” Tressel said. “I guess if I don’t have the Big Ten Network, I go to my friend’s house that does. I empathize with it, but I don’t know what to do.”

Bielema told fans to call people responsible for the network not being distributed on their cable systems.

“In the meantime, go to a restaurant,” the Wisconsin head coach said. “I’d grab maybe a burger and some cheese curds, maybe a refreshment. Grab a friend, wear some red and support the Badgers.”

It’s one thing for Buckeye and Badger fans not to see games against Youngstown State or The Citadel, but a game against each other?

BTN knew a while ago it would get a marquee game such as Ohio State-Wisconsin. The network launched a public relations campaign this week to defend its position. Among the points made:

- Time Warner is the lone cable provider holdout in Ohio — actually there are a few other smaller providers, including Massillon Cable.

- BTN is available to 30 million households, an impressive number for a network in its infancy stages.

- BTN is asking providers for $1 per subscriber per month, 30 cents cheaper than SportsTime Ohio and much less than many other regional sports networks.

BTN is in a similar position that stalled the NFL Network. There is a PR war going on, with both side trying to sway consumers.

In the end, fans don’t care whose fault it is. Although some readers have made a good point. Asking publicly subsidized universities in the Big Ten to charge — essentially pass on to taxpayers — a fee to watch games isn’t quite kosher. Hey, why not put the events on PBS?

Boeckman for Heisman

Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman has been thrown into the Heisman talk. Buckeye fans shouldn’t get too excited. Boeckman has no chance to win.

That’s not say what he has done through nine games isn’t impressive. He is third in the country in pass efficiency, completing 34-of-49 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns the last two weeks. But two weeks does not a season make.

“Who began that talk?” Tressel said. Informed it was mentioned on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” Tressel flashed a crooked smile.

“Then it must be exact,” he said.

Taking a break

Joe Paterno made his football team clean up Beaver Stadium for five weeks to send them a message after an offseason of off-the-field problems. The players didn’t have to clean up the mess after Saturday’s soldout Ohio State crowd.

“They have a free education. People know who they are,” Paterno said. “I didn’t know we had a women’s rowing team. One day I went up there, and they were all cleaning up the place to make a couple of bucks for their program.”

Going too far

After Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline scored a touchdown against Penn State, 6-foot-8, 313-pound offensive tackle Alex Boone ran to the end zone and jumped over Hartline.

“I can’t even get my skilled athletes to jump over people, and they’ve got linemen jumping over people,” Bielema said.

In all seriousness, OSU receiver Ted Ginn Jr. was injured after he returned the opening kickoff for a TD in the national title game during a celebration.

“When (Maurice Wells) scored against Michigan State, Alex jumped on me, and I was out of breath,” tight end Rory Nicol said. “I was like, ‘Dude, you’re 330 pounds. Don’t jump on me.’ For some reason, after 17 plays in a row, he’s got energy to jump on somebody. It’s crazy. You’d think we’d learn after what happened to Teddy.”

Nicol was impressed by Boone’s athleticism. But not that impressed. Asked if Boone was athletic enough to journey outside the line? “Nah, he’s still a lineman,” Nicol said.

Shaking out

With three weeks left, five teams can win the Big Ten championship. Michigan and Ohio State are unbeaten (5-0), while Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin (3-2) have a shot. ... The Buckeyes can set a conference record with a win against Wisconsin. It would be OSU’s 20th straight Big Ten win.